Isolation (Book 3): Starting Anew, page 29
part #3 of Isolation Series
They did the eastern and southern sides of the survivors' camp first because most of the other security volunteers, working with every single remaining person in camp strong enough to hold a shovel, had begun work on their own ditch and earth berm.
They weren't the only ones digging. Not only had Starr's people redoubled their efforts on their own fortifications, but just beyond the fence outside camp to the south, far enough away to be confident Jay's water balloons hadn't contaminated the ground, the old veteran was directing the construction of two shooting ranges: one for his people, and one for Denny's immune volunteers.
Even the town had finally seemed to decide that the patrols weren't enough. From what Nick could see, hundreds of citizens were out putting up a perimeter of fortifications around the place, everything from chain-link fences as a hasty measure to barricades of furniture and vehicles parked sideways.
In a way it was unbelievable that over a thousand people were hard at work defending against a few dozen aggressors, but even if the response was overblown Nick was glad to see it. Everyone was obviously fed up with that bald maniac getting away with what he was doing, and were finally taking measures to stop him.
He just hoped those measures would be enough.
A surprising number of other Zolos survivors had followed his example of not beginning their three weeks again. “What's the point when Jay might douse us with Zolos whenever he wants?” seemed to be the general consensus. After talking things through with Ellie, they'd agreed that for now Tallie should stay with Nick and the scavengers and forego her 21 days.
“I'd rather see her safe with family and people who care about her than push for isolation again under less than ideal circumstances, and maybe see her a few days sooner,” his ex-wife insisted.
Since Nick's team had been reunited with their friends and family there was no shortage of people to babysit his daughter while he worked. Val and Lila had both joined those digging the fortifications, and Brant and Aimee were acting as spotters in positions around the town, but there were plenty of others who could watch her.
Just knowing he'd be able to see Tallie on breaks and when he was off duty was a huge comfort; he'd missed her even after this short time. Selfish as it might've been to be so glad to see her again when her reunion with her mom and brother would be postponed that much longer, he was happy all the same.
And determined that this was the last time Jay would frighten his daughter.
✽✽✽
Jay had used Zolos as a weapon.
Sure, it had been against people immune to the virus, solely for the purpose of disrupting their three weeks of isolation so they couldn't join the town. But he should've known he was playing with fire (figuratively this time), and now at least thirteen Zolos-vulnerable people had been exposed.
But even if that hadn't happened, and the plan had gone off just as the Wensbrook survivors wanted . . .
The madman had used Zolos as a weapon. He'd infected innocent people, reset the countdown on when Ellie could hold her sweet baby girl again, and more importantly had risked infecting the entire quarantine camp.
Nick and the other survivors were thoroughly decontaminating the tents of the thirteen newly infected and the area around their section, using the few hazmat suits they had available. But the damage was done.
As for Starr, he seemed to have given up on the idea of protection from the town, and had pulled over fifty of his security volunteers away into their own camp outside the main camp. He'd also moved everyone twenty feet away from the fence, making it a designated zone for his people to patrol with only a few spots for visitors to approach.
He'd taken it a step farther in the survivors' section, where he'd put his leader of the security forces there in charge of their own patrols around the town and camp both, along with long range spotters so they'd have plenty of warning when Jay returned.
When Ellie had talked to Nick earlier he'd told her he and his team had joined that force, determined to keep the bald psychopath from coming anywhere near their loved ones again. Half of them were already out there right now, scouting.
As for Starr's Zolos-vulnerable volunteers, she'd been there to watch the beginning of their first shift on their new rotations; they'd already been issued hip waders, gloves, and masks, and after talking them through safety precautions and proper decontamination, the leader of the camp's defenses had sent them on their patrols. Most of the others were hard at work finishing the berm, preparing floodlights and other improved security measures for nighttime, and sorting out the weapons they'd been given from the stockpile to make sure they were well prepared for another attack.
The old veteran even had them setting up shooting ranges for both sections of camp on the south end, and planned to have his people use some of their limited bullets improving their aim.
“I think Jay will be in for a nasty surprise when he shows up again,” Darrel said. Although his attention was less on the camp than his town, where people were working just as feverishly to set up barricades.
“I hope so,” Hal muttered. “So far he's been the one surprising us.”
And putting Ellie's loved ones in danger time and again. “Are we going to treat him like an enemy now?” she asked.
“We've treated him like an enemy from day one,” Darrel snapped. “As I recall you're the one who wanted to wait until he “calmed down” and find a peaceful solution.”
Ellie grit her teeth, looking back at the camp where thirteen people, people she was responsible for, would soon be dying of a terrible disease. “He's been a menace from day one, sure, but now he's crossed the line. Last night was nothing less than biological warfare.”
“I'm well aware,” the leader of the town's patrols said, glaring in the direction of his burned down house. “We'll do what we need to do to defend our town, and Jay's little deadly games stop now.”
Thanks to Nick and the survivors scouting around town because you can't. She kept that to herself though.
Darrel returned to the work of fortifying Stanberry, while she and her fiancé turned back to the camp. “Hal,” she said as they walked.
“Hmm?” His brow was furrowed in worry, eyes far away.
Well, she'd been much the same all morning, and for most of last night since the attack. And it was what she was thinking of now. “I held back a pistol from the stockpile, and we have your rifle. I'd like you to teach me to shoot both.”
“Sounds like a good idea,” he said soberly. “We'll be able to watch each other's backs.”
Ellie shivered. “If there wasn't a risk of exposure in the main camp, I'd almost consider moving in there for protection.”
“Well, we'll have to make sure our camp stays well hidden. Although I'll feel better knowing Nick and the others are out there scouting for us.”
She nodded. “Nothing we can do but keep moving forward. We have a chance for a fresh start here, and Jay's not taking that away.”
Hal grunted in agreement, then hesitated. “Speaking of the fresh start, we'll probably want to push back the date of the wedding?”
“No,” she said firmly. “My reunion with Tallie has already been pushed back. Jay's disrupted enough of our lives.” She rested a hand on his cheek. “Even if we have to hold the ceremony in a bunker, with just Ricky and your family there to watch it, we're getting married in five days like we planned.”
A voice from behind turned them around to see Gen, flushed and out of breath, approaching, and they stopped to let her catch up. “Bruce insisted it wasn't safe to go anywhere near the survivors' camp,” she called as soon as she was in earshot, “and I've been working on the barricades all morning. But when I saw you guys I came out to make sure Nick and Tallie are okay.”
Ellie blinked. She would've told her friend immediately if something had happened, and Gen had to know that. Besides, she had a radio and Bruce was in constant contact with the camp, so she could've easily gotten word to Nick or contacted him herself.
It made her wonder if the young woman was hesitant to let Nick know she was worried, thanks to that mess with Val her friend had told her about.
She'd tried to reassure Gen that, while Nick had faults like anyone, he'd never shown the slightest sign of disloyalty. In fact, on the few occasions she'd expressed jealousy he'd always seemed surprised that any woman would chase after him, or that she'd think he'd be interested in anyone but her.
That genuine naivety was at once charming and befuddling; Ellie didn't consider herself vain, and maybe it was a girl thing, but she was usually fairly aware when men were paying attention to her. The idea that he was completely oblivious to any attention he might be getting from the women around him, and didn't care in the slightest since he was perfectly content with her, was actually incredibly reassuring.
Or had been, when they'd still been married.
Now, hearing about this mess with Val from Gen, she'd just shaken her head. For Nick, being caught in a love triangle would be a lot like being caught in the Bermuda Triangle: he'd be hopelessly lost for what to do until Gen stepped in and guided him out again.
Her friend had seemed reassured by that, but she still had yet to go back and sort things out with him. And since it was the sort of thing that was better done in person, especially since Jay would be listening in over the radio, she'd be delayed now since the survivors' camp wasn't safe to approach.
“Nick and Tallie are fine,” she assured the kindly young woman. “I can send a message along to them if you want.”
“Thanks.” Gen glanced woefully towards the survivors' camp. “Bruce wants us all to stay in Stanberry for the next little while, until Jay's been dealt with. But I wanted to make sure Nick knows that I'm not visiting because I can't, not because I, um, don't want to.” Her plump cheeks flushed. “At least until we can talk things through.”
“I'll make sure he knows,” Ellie promised solemnly, glad that at least they were moving away from rocky ground, even if they still had a ways to go. “And if you want to send him letters I can make sure he gets them.”
“Thanks,” the young woman said again. She glanced reluctantly over her shoulder and sighed. “Well, back to carting bookshelves and piling rocks.”
“Good luck, Gen. Hope to see you soon.” As her friend walked away Ellie turned to Hal with a sigh. “Well, back to our own work.”
✽✽✽
Nick was up for the first night patrol.
He wasn't sure if volunteering for night shifts in the past had made everyone decide he liked it, so they'd been happy to give him the least desirable shift. Or maybe leaders were in short supply, so Denny had decided he had to put him in charge of a team, even if it wasn't ideal for him.
Either way here he was, leading three people through the woods east of camp to make sure Jay didn't try anything tonight. Charlie was with him, along with a guy named George who'd recently arrived in camp, and a woman named Lauren who was part of the group who cared for the sick but had decided to take a second shift protecting them.
Nick still had his 9mm on his hip, but he'd also borrowed Chet's AR-15 for this shift. Rifles were in short supply, and pistols just didn't seem like they'd do the job for anything farther than fifty feet. Assuming he was really in top form at even that distance. The young man had let him fire the weapon a few times when the scavengers had been practicing with their guns in Wensbrook, and he'd done well enough with it.
He intended to practice with rifles almost exclusively at the new firing range when he had the chance, but for now he was at least confident he could hit within a few feet of any target under 100 yards.
“I still say we should clear these trees around the camp,” Lauren grumbled in a whisper as they crept through the woods, guided by the light of a waxing gibbous moon and the stars; they all had lights as well, but Nick had insisted they try to avoid using them so they didn't give away their positions.
That would be impossible if it got cloudy, or when they were deeper in the trees where the light didn't reach, but for now he didn't like the idea of some hidden enemy taking potshots at their flashlights.
“I'd be surprised if he was stupid enough to show up in these woods again after causing such a big scene here last night,” George offered. “He'll have to know we'll be expecting him to come back.”
Charlie snorted. “Maybe so, but it's not like we've been on the ball responding to anything else he's done, even when we've been at our most vigilant. He might come back here just to prove we're helpless to stop him, no matter how brazen he gets.”
Nick fingered the AR-15's strap over his shoulder. “If so we might have a chance to catch him and end this trouble once and for all.”
The others murmured agreement, seeming heartened by that. Although he had a feeling he wasn't the only one who was nervously thinking that if Jay did show up in force then it would be four of them, half-trained at best, against potentially dozens of Wensbrook survivors, with reinforcements at best a few minutes off.
Well, they were here to scout, report in any sightings of Jay's people if they showed up, and keep track of their movements. Denny would come charging in with the cavalry to do the heavy lifting after that.
Nick's plan for the patrol was to first go through the woods and check the area on the far side to make sure it was clear. Then, if it was, he'd leave someone on the eastern edge to watch for approaching enemies while the rest of his patrol risked some light and began mapping out the woods. He wanted to get a feel for what it looked like, what possible approaches they should watch, and what routes would work best for consistent patrols.
Assuming they didn't immediately run into Jay's people lurking around, spying on them in some long term camp. Then things would come to a head a lot quicker than any of them wanted.
This stretch of woods was only fifty or so yards wide east to west, and a few hundred yards long north to south, most of it open spaces between trees, with a brook running through the center of it. Deceptively small since once they were inside it, pushing through underbrush and peering between tree trunks, it seemed to stretch on forever.
Maybe, once they'd established the woods were clear, they could patrol around them. Or clear the trees like Lauren had suggested; they needed the firewood anyway. Although it would be smart to have at least a few patrols poking around in here to make sure no one had snuck in and was hiding out.
Before that, though, they were going to have to scour the place for potential hiding spots. Nick could probably check at least the most likely places tonight, but the best thing would probably be to wait until tomorrow and get more people, organize a grid search.
For now, though, they should just focus on getting to the other side and making sure there weren't a bunch of Wensbrook trucks waiting there.
He had his patrol move more quietly from that point, since the deeper they got into the trees the more nervous he felt about unseen eyes on them. Or, a less pleasant prospect, unseen guns. Thoughts like that made for a tense fifteen or so minutes, while their attempts at stealth were foiled by crackling undergrowth and cracking branches and old leaves until he felt like an elephant blundering along at the head of a marching band, announcing their presence to anyone within a mile.
Maybe he should've given up and had them use their lights, since it wasn't as if it would've made them any more noticeable. But he held off, deciding that their night vision would be more valuable once they were out in the open at the eastern end of the woods, so they could check the surrounding area aided just by moonlight.
That fifteen minute eternity was one of the most stressful times of his life. Crashing along, jumping at shadows with eyes straining through the darkness, expecting to get shot at any second. He eventually unslung his borrowed AR-15 and held it ready, although he kept the safety on; that helped reassure him a little, make him feel more like he was prepared for this insane situation.
Finally, they emerged from the trees onto a road that ran alongside Stanberry past a few abandoned houses.
He had them stop and spend a while checking for signs of anything suspicious. He didn't see any out of place vehicles, campfires, moving silhouettes in the darkness, or anything like that, but that didn't mean they weren't there; Jay'd had plenty of time to spread out and dig in while they were all huddled in town and their camps, and there was no telling what he'd prepared out here.
Nick even moved to a nearby hilltop and, after another few minutes of careful searching, dug his floodlight out of his pack. “It's about to get bright,” he called quietly down to his patrol waiting at the bottom of the hill. “Hold tight. And, um, if I get shot at I'm going to make a break for the trees, so in that case let's regroup back in that big clearing we passed a ways back.”
“Is this a good idea?” Charlie called back, sounding distinctly uneasy.
“I don't want anybody creeping up behind us as we begin searching the woods,” he replied. “If this doesn't flush out anyone lurking around here, it'll give me a better chance of spotting them. Keep your eyes open down there, too.”
He closed his eyes, settled in a crouch beside a tree trunk, and flicked on the floodlight.
Well, there were no cries of alarm or angry threats from out in the darkness, although the brilliant light made him wince even with his eyes shut. Down below he heard George curse quietly.
Nick cracked his eyes open against the glare and began panning the light across the surrounding area, searching for hidden enemies. As he did he shifted around behind the tree, hoping it would make him a harder target in case anyone was lining up a shot.
The night was eerie with the blinding glare piercing the darkness, leaving a single moving spot looking as bright as noonday. The longer he kept it up the more antsy he became about the attention he was drawing to himself, so after a few minutes of finding nothing but abandoned houses and empty landscape he flicked off his light and headed back down to where the others waited.
“Okay, let's search the woods,” he told them. “We'll go twenty yards apart and call updates every few minutes. Keep an eye out for any places people could hide, and use your lights if needed.” He paused. “Also, any volunteers to stick around here and watch out for Jay's people showing up?”
